Duty Free Alliance, the retail sales leader for travellers and travel-related audiences, has won a Golden Brand Award for the utmost success the company achieved in 2018.
Over 100 experts and customers participated in the survey that revealed that Duty Free Alliance is the N1 company in its segment in Georgia.
“No business can rise to a position of leadership or remain so competitive for over 10 years without clear expectations. For us, the expectations that have mattered the most since the beginning are those related to our core values,” said Tengiz Iashvili, General Director of Duty Free Alliance.
“By focusing our efforts towards achieving and maintaining such ideals as partnerships, innovation, vision, service, and caring for our people, Duty Free Alliance has become the industry standard for travel retail. We continue to lead the way on behalf of our customers, suppliers and employees by remaining true to this same proven formula for success,” he added.
Duty Free Alliance has been operating on the Georgian market since 2008.
“We specialise in helping consumers purchase quality products from global brands and provide a high level of service as the client is the most important component of our business,” Over the years, the selection of products on offer has been greatly enhanced with many recognised top brands operating at Duty Free Alliance offering the best in perfumery, liquors, confectionery and tobacco,” Iashvili said.
Additional services extend to 24 hour duty free shopping.
“At our Duty Free shops you can also find many travel retail exclusive and special offers which are perfect for your travel. Duty Free Alliance has a reputation for quality and value, a visit to our shop will be a pleasant experience for travellers,” Iashvili said.
Duty Free Alliance has been actively operating four border shops in Georgia: Georgian-Armenian Border Checkpoint Sadakhlo; Georgian-Azerbaijani Border Checkpoint Red Bridge; and Georgian-Turkish Border Checkpoint Sarpi and Georgian- Russian Border Checkpoint Kazbegi.
Also, Duty Frey Alliance performs duty-free trade in the port of Poti and in the Diplomatic Shop in the heart of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi chavchavadze ave 74/b.
For the purpose of optimising licensed activities, revenue growth, the company in 2014 built and made one of the most modern custom warehouse in Georgia’s Black Sea port town of Poti.
Q. What are the core values of Duty Free Alliance?
A. First of all it is quality of goods and services, and I can truly say that Duty Free Alliance offers high quality products and services.
The second value is constant development. The company is constantly in search of ways of business development. During the first years of our business activities, business growth was mainly possible by the development of our free trade facilities and network. In the digital marketing era, the company is studying the possibilities of on-line operations.
Social responsibility is also very important to us. Our company carries out activities based on corporate social responsibility policies.
Transparency is another important core value for us. Duty Free Alliance carries out its activities transparently and in accordance with business ethics and responsibility.
And, last but not least – patriotic motives. Duty Free Alliance contributes to the development of local production, presenting Georgian produce next to world-recognised brands. This also contributes to the awareness of Georgian culture among foreign tourists outside the country.
Q. Who are the customers of Duty Free Alliance?
A. Our customers are mainly the tourists who cross Georgian borders and also the diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia.
The majority of tourists (73%) crossed the Georgian border by car; 24.8% – by air; 0.5% – by sea transport; and 0.9% – by railway.
Q. How many people are employed by Duty Free Alliance?
A. The company fully embodies the expression “businesses are created by people” and accordingly considers persons employed in the company a valuable asset.
By number of employed people Duty Free Alliance is considered a middle sized company. The growth of the number of employees is in proportion to the growth of the company.
The company gives an equal chance of development and promotion to its employees. When there is a vacancy the company first of all considers its existing employees to give them the chance of promotion. Our company also frequently offers trainings to its staff.
Q. What is the company’s strategy and how innovation-oriented is it?
A. The strategic goal of the company is to provide customers with high quality products and services and thus increase in revenue and profits.
As the main customers of Duty Free Alliance are tourists, we know that the number of tourists will further increase in Georgia.
At the same time Duty Free Alliance constantly tries to implement new projects and is in search of ways to increase its business activities.
We believe that the objects that operate in the border zone contribute to making a positive first impression of Georgia among visitors to the country.
As patriotism is one of the core values of our company, Duty Free Alliance decided to improve the image of our country and invested in 2016 in rebranding its branches – Red Bridge at the Georgian-Azerbaijani border, and in 2017 the Sarpi branch at the Georgian-Turkey border and will invest in rebranding Kazbegi and Sadakhlo DF shops in 2020.
